The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1887-03-20
Smoking Among Ladies.

49,
A recent incidental statement made by an
authority whose opportunity of observa-
ton leaves no doubt as to its truthfulness,
discloses the fact that the practice of
smoking among American ladies is becom-
ing more ana more g eral. The observer,
who is lady of the highest standing in
New York, says: ''More American women
smoke cigarettes, and often cigars, than
The woill wots Of. Only a few mornings
ago I sat in the BOULDER of one Of the best
known women in New York society, lady
whose name is a synonym for everything
that is womanly and refined to the outside
world, while she smoked Gig arctic after
cigarette with the utmost plaoidity. Dur
ing the morning three other ladies drop
ped in, and two of them also produced
dainty cigarette cases, and Smoked with
es4tire composure, ejecting the curls of
smoke into rings above their head SIS grace
fully and perfectly as the most expert
smoker among men could do. know my
self of scores of our best New York, Bcs-
ton and Philadelphia ladies, all my person
al friends, who indulge in smoking, aud
whose names, if given to the public, would
canse astonishment" 1t is not pleasant
| to contemplate a condition of affairs as the
above gives US excellent reason to believe
exists to-day among our American women.
| "AIen smoke, and why should not wo-
menu" many have asked. Simply because
| there are thousand and one things
| which, though proper in men, are entirely
| unbecoming to women. The association of
| tobacco with refined lady is disagreeable;
| it is not 50 with the most polished gentle
| man. It is argued by some that in Spain,
| Francs and Turkey and other European
countries, the women all smoke, and in
| public; yet these same people making this
| assertion have never for themselves seen
the class of women who are addicted to
this use of tobacco. In like manner might
We conduct a foreigner to places in our
great cities where women can be found
continually smoking, but co1ld such
visitor return to his native land and de-
clare in truthfulness that the Anne riean
lady smokes? We are aware that in France
especially the habit of smoking among
women is more general than III America,
but likewise are many other habits which
American mothers would not core to asso-
ciate with the lives of their daughters or
their lady friends. II the custom of smok
ing among American ladies is becoming
prevalent, it is one that cannot be other
wise than deeply deplored. No woman
and we weigh each word in tAis statement
can be a lady End be addicted to smok-
ing. The argument that men smoke is no
plausible reason for women doing so, and
no one possessed of any degree of com
mon sense will advance such a comparison.
There are scores and hundreds of things
that can be properly associated with the
more commonplace nature of man, but
when connected with the delicate and re-
fined nature of woman they become widely
dissimilar. Tobacco was intended for the
use of men, ans while it would be infinite
ly better were it not used at all, or used in
much lesser quantities than it is at pres
ent, the cigar or cigarette is not unbecom-
ing to the most perfect gentleman. But
when employed by ladies, 1t is put to use
for which it was never intended; and the
cigar in the mouth of a woman becomes
her as much as would a costly flag of the
richest satin texture if placed on the be-
grimed mast of one of the scows that rid
our cities of their superhuous mud and
fifth Brooklyn Magazine.